Carlos Alcaraz has won his first title since returning from a four-month injury layoff after defeating Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in the Japan Open final in Tokyo. The top seed and defending champion had to recover from an early break before taking control of the first-set tiebreak and eventually securing victory in straight sets.
The Spaniard produced two important drop shots during the first-set tiebreak before winning it 7-4, while Lehecka continued to challenge him in the second set. Alcaraz eventually secured a crucial break midway through the set and held his serve to complete the victory, earning his first title since the Qatar Open in February.
The victory marked Alcaraz’s third title of 2026 and the 27th of his career, following his Australian Open triumph. He is scheduled to compete at the Shanghai Masters after the Japan Open, having previously criticised the congested tennis calendar and withdrawn from last year’s event after winning in Tokyo.
